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Android is included in the build of Hewlett-Packard's laptop-tablet hybrid, the SlateBook X2. HP also is bringing to market a Windows 8 hybrid laptop, the Split X2, that because of its detachable screen can used as a tablet. Industry watchers speculate that the product push reflects increasing consumer demand for hybrid computing devices.

Related Summaries

Tablet shipments will likely decline by nearly 10% this year and continue to lose popularity until the growth in detachable devices reverses the trend in 2018, research firm IDC said. It added that the laptop-tablet hybrid machines will account for 31% of tablet sales in 2020.

Microsoft has announced a string of upcoming devices, including its second-generation fitness wearable, Band 2, and the HoloLens gaming device, which lets users hold holograms in their hands. The company also debuted its laptop-tablet hybrid, the Windows 10 Surface Book, which it claims is twice as fast as Apple's latest MacPro.

Tablet shipments will decline by 8% this year from 2014, states an IDC report, which blames tablet and PC sales slumps on the lack of substantial innovations. The research firm predicts that the glut of low-cost Android devices will make tablet prices fall, but it adds that hybrid 2-in-1 laptop-tablet models will grow substantially.

Intel is touting a hybrid laptop-tablet called the Education 2-in-1 with a detachable 10.1-inch display, a flip screen and a stylus for keyboard novices. The Windows 8.1 device has a processor based on the "Bay Trail" architecture, a snap-on magnifying lens and a temperature-sensor probe, the company says.

Dell is mapping out a new product and business strategy and moving confidently to help regain market share all while the company moves closer to making a decision on future ownership, industry observers say. At this week's Computex, Dell will be touting a 11.6-inch laptop/tablet running Windows 8 to be released by year-end as well as its XPS 12 hybrid, which it says has a battery life of nearly 10 hours.